One of the last places you would expect to find a holistic health coach is at a bar, right? The empty calories of alcoholic beverages and the temptation to overindulge seem to be at odds with the goals of the profession.

"Clean Cocktails" co-author Tara Roscioli lives in Maplewood.

But that's where two coaches, Beth Ritter Nydick and Tara Roscioli, met in 2014 at a restaurant where they were attending an industry networking event.

Drinks in hand, they bonded over their shared philosophy of what Roscioli describes as "living in balance."

"Our clients eat clean and exercise and really make efforts toward wellness, but still want to be able to have a drink now and then, or go out for a girls' night or split a bottle of wine with their spouse, with their partner," says Roscioli, 45, of Maplewood. "We give them permission to have a drink, to have a dessert, but we teach them how to do it in a more healthful lifestyle."

Now they are sharing their drink knowledge in a best-selling book "Clean Cocktails: Righteous Recipes for the Modern Mixologist" (Countryman Press, 228 pp., $24.95).

The tome focuses on four low-calorie spirits -- vodka, gin, tequila and bourbon -- that pair well with other flavors. The recipes include "freshly expressed or freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable juices and purees packed with vitamins; fresh herbs containing loads of nutrients; and spices known to reduce inflammation, such as cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and ginger," they write. In place of the usual refined sugars are natural sweeteners, such as honey and dates.

When the women began crafting the recipes, they leaned on their own experiences. Ritter Nydick, 44, of Livingston, was a bartender in college.

"I've been making cocktails, and some of these cocktails forever," says Ritter Nydick. "And Tara and I both like to entertain, and we both like to go out and have a nice drink and have a nice dinner."

Their personal preferences also played a role.

"Of course, we started with liquors that we like," says Roscioli.

And left out those they don't enjoy, such as rum.

"Rum is actually high in sugar and it has a strong flavor. Personally, I don't care for it," says Roscioli. "If I drink rum, I automatically -- it doesn't matter what it is mixed with -- I just taste pina colada."

In addition to boosting the benefits of beverages, the co-authors wanted their drinks to be flavorful.

For example, the Day Drinker, which is sage- and grapefruit-based, is "loaded with the strong antioxidant vitamin C," according to the book, and is Ritter Nydick's favorite.

"People who try it say, 'I can really taste the sage, I can really taste the grapefruit' and you can't always do that when you get a drink at a restaurant," Ritter Nydick says. "The overall flavor profiles of the drinks highlight the ingredients. And you may feel a little adventurous when you're making a drink with sage because it probably is something you've never done before."

But even if someone hasn't ever made a drink with, say, maple syrup (included in My Drunk Aunt Said So, a "combination of ginger, bourbon, and lemon ... sure to cure the common cold") or turmeric (in the Liquid Muscle Relaxer, with a "double shot of anti-inflammatories that can help reduce muscle pain"), Ritter Nydick and Roscioli wanted the ingredients to be accessible.

"I would say maybe 99 percent of the ingredients in the book are vegetables or spices or things that you can buy at your local grocery store or bodega," says Roscioli. "We didn't want it to be a bunch of obscure ingredients that you needed to order off a specialty website, pay a fortune for and only use once."

After developing more recipes than they needed for the book -- "We have too many," says Roscioli -- the women envision a second title that focuses on what Roscioli calls "clean entertaining and the pairing of cocktails."

Yet, she still marvels at their success so far.

"We were not previously authors," says Roscioli. "We just started with an idea and kind of pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps and somehow made it happen. I think people like that story as much as anything."

The Berry Jamtini "Loaded with antioxidants and refreshing flavors, this drink is quite simply the jam!" Makes 1 serving.

1. Muddle all but one of the mint leaves and lime juice in cocktail shaker. Add gin, jam and ice and shake for 10 seconds, until jam is fully incorporated.

2. Strain into chilled martini glass. Top off with seltzer, garnish with remaining mint leaf, and serve.

-- Adapted from "Clean Cocktails: Righteous Recipes for the Modern Mixologist" by Beth Ritter Nydick and Tara Roscioli

Pineapple Fizz "This sparkling punch tastes just as good as it looks. Limes contain compounds with antioxidant benefits, and pineapple provides copper and essential minerals that reduce inflammation. As an added bonus, the natural sugars in pineapple offer a much healthier alternative to refined sweeteners." Makes 1 serving.

The Pineapple Fizz from "Clean Cocktails" "tastes as good as it looks."

1. Muddle all but one of the basil leaves and lime juice in cocktail shaker. Add pineapple juice, vodka and ice and shake for 10 seconds.

2. Strain into ice-filled highball glass and top off with seltzer. Garnish with pineapple slice and remaining basil leaf and serve.

-- Adapted from "Clean Cocktails: Righteous Recipes for the Modern Mixologist" by Beth Ritter Nydick and Tara Roscioli

Violet Beauregard "This cocktail has all the attitude of a competitive gum-snapping tween and all the flavor of a giant, exploding blueberry. We usually serve this over ice in a larger glass, but if you want to fancy it up for company, you can strain it into coupe glasses." Makes 1 serving.

The Violet Beauregard from "Clean Cocktails" has "all the flavor of a giant, exploding blueberry."